Advancements in communication technologies have permitted the development, implementation, and widespread usage of new types of communication systems. Information can be communicated between sending and receiving stations located at sites at which communication had been precluded, at thruput rates previously not practical, and at quality levels previously unattainable.
Advancements in the field of radio communication technologies have permitted the implementation of communications by way of digital cellular communication systems. High-quality communications can be effectuated by way of a mobile terminal positioned at any location within a coverage area of the network infrastructure of the digital cellular communication system without the need of a wireline connection extending to the mobile terminal.
At least one type of digital, cellular communication system, the GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) system, provides for the communication of both circuit-switched data as well as packet-data. The capability to communicate packet-data by way of a mobile terminal permits, for instance, host sites connected to the Internet to be accessed by way of a mobile terminal operable in the GSM communication system. By connecting a wireless host, such as a laptop computer, to the mobile terminal, otherwise-conventional packet-data communications between the wireless host and the host site of the Internet are possible.
Communications between the wireless host and a host site of a private network connected to the Internet can similarly be effectuated. A private network is typically a limited-access network in which access to host sites of the private network is limited only to users authorized to access such host site.
When the private network is connected to the Internet, or other external network, security procedures, such as authentication procedures, are carried out when access to a host site of the private network is requested from a location beyond the private network. Selective access to the host site of the private network is permitted as the request from the remote location to access the host site of the private network must be authenticated to have been originated at a host authorized to access the private network.
In one typical authentication procedure, a password is generated at the site requesting access to the host site of the private network. In some systems, a symmetric cryptographic technique is used to create and authenticate the password; in other communication systems asymmetric cryptographic techniques are utilized to create and authenticate the password.
In conventional operation of a GSM cellular communication system, the mobile terminal includes a SIM (subscriber identity module) which is releasably coupled to the mobile terminal. The SIM includes subscriber information including, for instance, data used to permit the mobile terminal to gain access to the network infrastructure of the GSM communication system.
A SIM constructed pursuant to the GSM Phase 2+ specification, namely at the ISO/IEC/7816 specification, includes a password generator formed on the SIM. The password generator produces a password, and the password generator includes an encryption algorithm, a secret key, and additional algorithms which, when executed, generate the password. The SIM is connected to a wireless host by way of an interface or is separated from the wireless host. If the SIM is connected to the wireless host, a password and/or encryption key is generated at the SIM and provided to the wireless host by way of the interface. If the SIM is not connected to the wireless host, the password has to be separately entered, such as by user, type-written entry, to the wireless host.
In the existing art, therefore, the password generator is physically separated from the mobile terminal. Compromise of authentication security is possible as a separate physical entity is used to generate the password.
A manner by which to ensure better the authentication security of a wireless host requesting access to a private network would therefore be advantageous.
It is in light of this background information related to accessing of private networks would therefore be advantageous.